Who’s the most efficient automaker of them all? According to TrueCar’s projections for May, Smart, MINI, Hyundai, VW and Scion top the list for sales-weighted fleet fuel economy. Meanwhile, the industry average of 22.4 MPG might not sound like much, but when you convert it to the “unadjusted” numbers used for CAFE, that 22 MP turns into about 28 MPG. Considering the 2015 CAFE standard is 35.5 MPG between cars and trucks, that average shows the industry to be fairly well on-track to comply with the initial CAFE ramp-up. In fact, since 35.5. MPG CAFE equals about 27 MPG EPA, it seems that the top three brands on this list (Smart, MINI, Hyundai) can pretty much twiddle their thumbs between now and 2015, as they’re practically in compliance with the 35.5 MPG standard already.

One guesses this must be one of the key reasons why they don’t sell in the US the V8 Touareg (TDI), nor the air suspension, nor the lockable differentials anymore. And they must be celebrating they did away with the Phaeton.

This chart also explains why at long last Mercedes decided to bring smart under its U.S. corporate roof, effective July 1st.

Finally, this chart explains why CAFE is so damaging to native brands: look at the poor saps at GM, Chrysler and Ford, sitting at the bottom. It is they who have to revamp the entire product line between now and 2015. Basically remake their entire business! Here’s a tip: sell their stock.

“Who’s the most efficient automaker of them all? According to TrueCar’s projections for May, Smart, MINI, Hyundai, VW and Scion top the list.”

That’s lying. This chart doesn’t show that. It only shows that these brands have a product mix that has a high percentage of small cars, not that their cars are any more efficient than their competitors of the same class.

Efficient = Less fuel for the same job completed.

A smart is not more efficient than a Fit, because it has only 2 seats. A Mini is not more efficient than an F150, because it can’t haul half ton.

Sorry, but those are the most-efficient automakers on a sales-weighted basis. I realize that none are full-line manufacturers, but as far as CAFE compliance goes, that doesn’t matter. We’ve already established that truck compliance is the hardest part of CAFE.